Yaylata National Archeological Reserve

Bulgaria HiLites: Archaeological Reserve 'Yailata', Black Sea Coast

The national archaeological reserve 'Yailata' is situated 2 km away from Kamen Bryag in south and 18 km away from Kavarna in north-eastern Bulgaria. It is a seaside ledge covering 300 decares (45, 3 hectares) and is detached from the sea by 50-60 meters high rock massifs.

There is a cave 'city' of 101 'apartments', settled as far back as V century B.C. Three necropolises (family tombs) out of III- IV century have been hollowed out in the rocks. Necropolis №1 has come onto being near a whittled down sanctuary, facing the rising sun. A little early- Byzantine stronghold is situated in the northern part of 'The Big Yaila'. It is built in the late V century. One tower- gate and four towers are partially preserved. There are also a sanctuary, sacrificial stones, and wineries, four dug into tombs, which have been reserved since the Antiquity. During the middle Ages, the caves have been used as a monastery complex. There are some proto- Bulgarian signs on their walls- runes, crosses and stone icons.

The area of 'Yailata' is announced as an archaeological reserve in 1989 by a resolution of the Ministerial Council of Bulgaria. It covers comparatively big surface of the coast line starting from the village of Kamen Bryag in the north and reaching 'Rusalka' resort in the south, including 500 meters all along the sea line as well. There are many monuments in the territory of the archaeological complex, belonging to different historical epochs- from VI millennium B.C. until the middle XI century. The regular archaeological excavations have been made since the beginning of 1980. Every endeavor has been made so that the early- Byzantine stronghold, the necropolises out of stone tombs and the cave complexes to be investigated carefully and in detail.